Why do you post on A/R?

Myles Splitz

Question I ask myself more and more frequently.

Genuinely interested in people's reasons for posting? Why did you start posting here? Is it the same reason you still post and if not what has changed in you.

Kurt_Godel

Myles Splitz wrote: »

Question I ask myself more and more frequently.

Genuinely interested in people's reasons for posting? Why did you start posting here? Is it the same reason you still post and if not what has changed in you.

Started posting as I needed advice on how to run/jog.

Kept on posting as I liked the place and people. It used to be a very helpful forum.

Tried to keep posting and be helpful to "give back" what I took out as I liked the community.

Stopped posting once trolls/backslappers/re-regs/arguers took over.

Would ban 50% of the crap in here if I still had the power; but power needs dedication.

Coffee Fulled Runner

I find it useful at times and some very informative people with a good knowledge of running here to interact with too.

Kurt_Godel

^ Just wanted to add- what I wrote above has no reflection on the current mods. I was one of many who used to mod here and it was a lot easier and friendlier in my day. The problem is asshole posters looking for a reaction. If everyone stuck to running/athletics chat (and understood that advice from a faster runner should usually mean please and thank you) it would be a better place. Plenty of helpful and knowledgeable posters here, there always was, you just have to make your voice heard if you want it a better forum. Speak louder above the useless crap.

walshb

To troll?

Just kidding! Some interesting topics and some very enjoyable conversations to be had.

RacoonQueen

Be great if people could contribute to the thread positively, or, not post at all...

Myles Splitz

walshb wrote: »

What if a poster genuinely follows and posts for whatever reason? Why censor that? The thread asks a very simple question. A host of answers may be presented. A post was deleted there for what, exactly? If he/she was being sincere then the post is surely fair.

Actually I deleted it because I didn't wanna de-rail the thread but for transparency it was calling you straight out as a troll.

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Be great if people could contribute to the thread positively, or, not post at all...

I think fact that that has to be said in a mod voice sums things up (or indeed at all) around here these days IMO.

walshb

Myles Splitz wrote: »

Actually I deleted it because I didn't wanna de-rail the thread but for transparency it was calling you straight out as a troll.



I think fact that that has to be said in a mod voice sums things up (or indeed at all) around here these days IMO.

I wasn't referring to your post.

Pacing Mule

walshb wrote: »

I wasn't referring to your post.

Presumably you referred to mine.

Wasn't me who deleted it !

I thought I made a very valid point in a subtle and humorous way myself

walshb

Pacing Mule wrote: »

Presumably you referred to mine.

Wasn't me who deleted it !

I thought I made a very valid point in a subtle and humorous way myself

No, not yours. Anyway, my reason for posting on AR was given. I wasn't meaning to debate-stir a mod's decision. It was just a thought. Apologies .

davedanon

walshb wrote: »

Anyway, my reason for posting on AR was given.

Yes, I believe it was suggested that you always take a contrary position to the majority, and you agreed and said that was why it was so entertaining.

walshb

davedanon wrote: »

Yes, I believe it was suggested that you always take a contrary position to the majority, and you agreed and said that was why it was so entertaining.

No, read my reason. It's a few posts up. You must be referring to another thread, where Racoonqueen made that observation. My reply to that was how I felt I should have replied. Oh, entertaining isn't necessarily the same as interesting. Anyway, have you a reason for posting on AR other than replying to me, again?

DubOnHoliday

I post here because you can't beat the voice of experience. There is a vast array of running talent on the board and for the average guys like me, listening to others is a part of making progress. I've also met and had a few runs with boardsies, and it's been all good!

TFBubendorfer

I used to post here because we used to talk about running. I happen to be passionate about running and found quite a few like-minded souls here.

I liked the fact that there were plenty of newbies looking for advice and plenty of experienced posters happy to give out advice, which seems like a good mix.

I particularly enjoyed seeing runners develop from newbies into fantastic runners at a serious level. Krusty is the poster boy for that but there are plenty of other shining examples.

Nowadays, and I'm sure that makes me sound like a grumpy old git, I find it hard to find anything worthwhile. Instead there's tons of in-fighting and trolling and lots of ****e I could do without, and the signal-to-noise ratio is dropping towards zero.

I guess I'm still here either purely out of habit or because I'm exceptionally optimistic to think that one day we'll start talking about running again and the fighting will stop.

davedanon

Personally I post here because there are runners here, and fellow runners always have something useful to impart. You never stop learning. Also, like many I maintain a training log, which is the thing that keeps me anchored here.

Myles Splitz

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Nowadays, and I'm sure that makes me sound like a grumpy old git, I find it hard to find anything worthwhile. Instead there's tons of in-fighting and trolling and lots of ****e I could do without, and the signal-to-noise ratio is dropping towards zero.

I guess I'm still here either purely out of habit or because I'm exceptionally optimistic to think that one day we'll start talking about running again and the fighting will stop.

But you have the power to do something about that. Permabans are there for a reason why justified for the good of the forum.

In my opinion there are about 10-15 posters that probably need to go (myself probably included) Maybe need to go back to the days when mods were seen as power mad dictators

Kurt_Godel

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Nowadays, and I'm sure that makes me sound like a grumpy old git, I find it hard to find anything worthwhile. Instead there's tons of in-fighting and trolling and lots of ****e I could do without, and the signal-to-noise ratio is dropping towards zero.

Benign dictatorship TFB, you are granted the ability to mould the forum as you would like it. If its going to down don't let it go down without you fighting for how you'd like it to be.

overpronator

Used to post here quite a bit but have lapsed recently, work related in part but equally because of the nonsense that drags the place down. I should try to rise above that and ignore it but some posters are just so relentless that i cant be bothered.

In saying that this place has been invaluable to me and when i look at where I was when i started running 4 years ago i know i wouldnt have gone anywhere or probably stuck with running but for it. Ive also met some really great people through here too.

28064212

The most obvious current problem with AR is not with the trolls and nonsense discussion. Every forum gets its fair share of that, and AR no more than most. The bigger problem here is the amount of posters who should know better responding to it. Look at some of the busiest threads on the first page:

• Walker who fell on WW boardwalk gets 40 grand
• The Ethics of Wearing a Marathion Finisher's Shirt When You Didn't
• 2:30 marathon aspirations
• Why do pedestrian lights take 1 min to change

There's nothing "wrong" with any of these threads in themselves. But the reason they're the busiest threads is not because of the topics. They should all be low-traffic threads at best. Instead, there's dozens of posts from experienced posters, keeping the thread alive well beyond its useful life, and making sure it's kept at the top of the forum.

Back in Black

Started posting here to get advice from experienced runners and I got spades of that. Stuck around and met some great people and then met them in real life between races and for runs.

Got tired of the place when all the crap started. Then needed a clean break from Boards for various reasons (not related to anything with the A/R forum).

After a few months I missed the interaction with the training logs I followed but to be honest just stick to them now as I don't have the time or energy to get sucked in to some of the nonsense that goes on elsewhere. I also have a very busy job now and spend little time on boards compared to what I used to.

demfad

I post here simply because I love to chat about all things running.
My approach to running is quite experimental and I used to love trying things out and getting feedback on my log. Hoping to get back to that state of affairs.
There is a actually fantastic bunch of loggers here at the moment. I don't post much on logs and maybe that's something I would get more enjoyment out of. I actually believe we are a special case with banned re-regs/sock-puppets/baiting posters here. That's for the mods though and we are lucky with whom we have and if we support them and do as they wish things will get better. I haven't posted on the 1000 mile challenge in a while but I think I've only bettered Thomas once by my estimation (I always check). Were lucky to have you, please keep it going a while longer.

As regards genuine posters we need to start talk running nice and loud as the Kurt said. If he ever fully embraced the metric system youd be looking at the complete man right there.

BTW If I was ever on mastermind one of my chosen subjects would be running @ 95% marathon pace. If anyone ever wants to ask me anything about that or otherwise) feel free to ask wherever or PM.

degsie

I post here because I get confused. Is a 'runner' a person who uses their legs to transport themselves in a fashion which is quicker than walking or does it it describe a particular item of footwear or bean?

Wild Garlic

degsie wrote: »

I post here because I get confused. Is a 'runner' a person who uses their legs to transport themselves in a fashion which is quicker than walking or does it it describe a particular item of footwear?

It's a type of bean

degsie

Wild Garlic wrote: »

It's a type of bean

Thanks. fmp.

Gavlor

I started posting here as I knew sweet fa about running and found this place very informative.

I didn't listen to any of the advice and performance suffered as a result. Once I started implementing some of the changes that were suggested by experienced runners my times and enjoyment of running improved. I'm no longer logging as that aspect of the forum has served its purpose for me and my motivation comes from training with real people in the club as opposed to training for kudos here.

I have to say though that I hate the backslapping/oversensitive/dramatic exits/unappreciative/self absorbed/childish/f&ckology that has become the norm here.

I currently post in the hope that it might turn around into a normal environment again and that some of the good members like ClaraLara, meno, blockic, digger, trr, abhainn etc might start contributing more regularly.

Although I suspect that ship has sailed.

Edit: I forgot to say as a follow on to my first paragraph that we are extremely lucky to have the collective knowledge and sharing of ideas from the likes of krusty, myles, enduro etc. I'm not aware of anywhere else where top athletes are willing to offer advice to people of all abilities. It is definitely a saving grace for the forum.

That and Walter Mittys (Tbl) travel-log!!!

Chivito550

Good thread. I started off posting in 2009, probably for different reasons to most. I'd posted occasionally beforehand, but there was a thread on the World Championships in Berlin and it was a super thread, full of really insightful discussion and arguments on elite athletics and that got me hooked (the championship threads these days are fairly dull in comparison as a lot of genuine track and field posters have left). I stuck around then as it was the best place at the time to discuss elite athletics in Ireland (it still is, but that's not saying much).

Had started fun running in 2008 after lazy college years, and ran the marathon in Rotterdam in 2010, and set up a log here. Got fairly slated on my log, and in hindsight deservedly so, but it actually shaped my future in this sport. I owe boards a lot for helping me make such big steps into the unknown world of track running. I set up a thread about running the mile in sub 5 minutes. It was a hugely active thread, but amongst it was village runner saying I hadn't a prayer. He had wound me up on my log previously, even though he was correct in what he was saying then, but this just put fire in the belly, and I was determined to prove him wrong. In the end, I didn't go for the mile, but rather the 400m, but I've achieved performances which are equivalent of way under 5 for the mile. So if you're reading village runner, I'd like to thank you for indirectly helping me push myself from being a fun runner, into a far better runner.

When I moved to Australia, this forum played a huge role in my life. Anybody who has lived abroad as an expat will know how tough homesickness is. This forum helped me stay connected to athletics in Ireland. Despite being so far away, I felt connected by reading these forums. I took pride in my log which I set up as soon as I arrived in Australia, as I enjoyed telling tales from my time down there, to strangers who were unfamiliar with the track scene down there. As I started getting faster the log became more important to me as I wanted to keep my entire progress in one place.

The log was a big thing that has kept me here. There have been times I've considered just giving up with it. There have been a fair few scuffles down the years. Of course when you meet these so called enemies in real life, you end up getting on great with them. Of course, I didn't meet anyone in real life until I moved home from Australia 2 years ago. So it's only in the last year that I've seen these previous online arguments for what they were, harmless enough.

Another thing that kept me here during the period of time I felt like quitting the site was that I liked sharing the interviews and articles I did, and I wanted runners and athletics people to read them.

It's hard to know what to make of the site these days. I don't think it's as good as it used to be. But I once read some poster who only started posting in 2013 or so say that the forum has gone to the dogs since then, and I was thinking to myself "eh it had gone to the dogs long before that, 2009-2010 were the real glory years". The reality is people will always look back at the time they started posting as the best time. There'll be people in 10 years complaining that the forum isn't near the quality of 2016, bless em! The incident surrounding the guy who set up a training log and took everyone for a ride is something the forum has never recovered from, and you still see it now, with pot shots taken from various groups.

I'm a bit stubborn in that I still haven't given up trying to promote track and field on this forum. I know it's a complete losing battle, which never goes anywhere, but I to refuse to give up that ghost just yet anyway.

There are a lot of frankly terrible threads on the main forum these days, but occasionally there is some good stuff.

I find it hard to engage with a lot of training logs simply because I can't really relate to distance running, being a sprinter, so I tend to only follow the ones of people I know in real life, or if one particularly sticks out.

Which brings me onto the last point. I've met a lot of sound people through this, and a few who are good friends. Overall the pros have outweighed the cons, though it has been a close run thing at times. A love-hate affair with the forum, or as Myles said recently, some of us are flies attracted to sh1te.

El Caballo

As my sheer number of accounts attest to, I've asked myself that question a good few times, my little tantrums haven't exactly helped the place be more harmonious either so I'm not one to talk really on the subject of arguments.

I started posting here to have a place to discuss running as I was sick of the BS on Letsrun and all my mates were sick of me talking about running:pac: and this was a good outlet for my interests, I mean how many people are you going find out there who would sit down at a table and discuss training with, I see this place much like a runners bar or cafe where you can delve into the knowledge and experience of like minded people and they are in abundance here. That hasn't changed and it never will and is what always keeps me coming back even when all the other stuff eats into my enthusiasm, it's a perfect outlet for me as people who are knowledgeable in the topics I like are hard to find out there as they are niche in the grand scale of things.

I've learned pretty much everything I know about running because of this place and not just because of posters who know the answers but people who asked questions that made me think as well and learn more, it helps me put the pieces together and I can hopefully give back by sharing my thoughts. A/R is much like a running library for me like that.

I haven't met that many people from here mostly because of where I live and the forum being Dublin centric, the logs are brilliant and filled with character and that's a personal touch and Irish feel which you won't get anywhere else. We've had a lot of threads in the last year from the elders:p wishing for the old days and old posters back and that they made great friends back in the day from this forum and so on which they don't anymore and I always think what's changed? I think it's more of a case of the older posters not engaging with the newer posters more than anything else and this place will never be as good for them as it was until they do put in the effort wether that comes to topics or getting to know new people. Its a community at the end of it all and is what you make of it. Just a thought!:)

sconhome

Back in our day....

No seriously I love the discussions and points of view debated in some of the threads on here (usually as far as Page 3) and then follow the tangent for a while. There is a ton of knowledge wrapped up in these pages and it could take a lifetime to work your way through it all.

For a newbie runner of any level the advice you can find and receive here in a few lines is priceless. Genuine posters with genuine questions will always be helped, this aspect of A/R always impressed me.

Experienced runners can still learn from their peers here too if they are open to it.

However I do agree with a couple of points above about mods and the treatment of mods. They seem to be looked upon more as soccer referees nowadays rather than rugby.

(Great thread starter Myles BTW)

Wottle

I started posting because I was obsessed with running but you can't run every minute of the day so boards filled the void. Community was probably smaller then so you got to know people better and I think we motivated one another.
The forum was a blank canvas and we could share our thoughts/ideas on how to better the forum without having to think about the dick head troll waiting to jump in.

I'm still obsessed with running/athletics but not my own, I've started my 6th year of coaching kids and that now fills the void and thankfully there's not a single troll among them.

The forum today is what it is, it's not an environment I want to post in too often, yet I lurk regularly, not sure why.
The mods have their work cut out for them, I never banned anyone when I was a mod, left that to Kurt and Myles but if I was mod again I'd ban a crap load of posters.

ncmc

I'm a lurker now rather than a poster. I started posting here in early 2012 and followed the DCM novice thread that year. The advice I received during that period was invaluable. Before that I was making all the rookie mistakes, running every training run like it was a 5k race etc. I don't know if I would have even made it to the start line of DCM never mind doing a time I was proud of without that thread and boards in general. The cameraderie of that thread was great and it was always nice to meet people at races. I continued posting through 2013 but then became pregnant and running fell off my radar. I stopped following logs because it reminded me how much fitness I had lost.

I don't know if I missed some kind of major fall out, but when I came back to running and A/R a lot of the familiar names had gone. The vibe seemed to have changed a bit. I can't put my finger on what was different, but it's not really a place I feel comfortable posting any more.

I still lurk and follow the events threads more so than the general forum. It would still be my go to place if I needed advice. My husband has taken up running and thanks to boards, I can now point out all the mistakes he's making

Chartsengrafs

I started posting a number of years back as I had few people to talk to about running, and I found this to be a fantastic resource.
I've since joined a club and run with people in work so I've plenty of people to talk running with.
Why do I post now...? I think there are some good people here and I would like to think it is of some use to people getting started. Also I feel if more, let's be honest, normal people post, it dilutes the effect of the relentless trolling.

Pacing Mule

I originally came in here to ask a very noob question after my first race. Didn't know what MS meant in the results.

Saw the wealth of information available and began lapping it up, seeking advice (ignoring a lot of it :pac:), learning not to ignore it, improving much more than I would have done by myself.

Why do I stay ? Despite a recent compulsion to close my account here I haven't given up hope that things can turn back around to where they once where. I certainly believe there are many many good people (and friends) still here. The bad apples will hopefully move on or at the very least get drowned out by better quality posting. When this forum is good and comes together it is excellent - we've seen that last year. I'm keeping the faith ! Plus your own log space is a great tool to be able to look back on as time progresses and get the detail of your sessions / paces / how you felt / weather conditions etc which is better than what you can see on Garmin / Strava etc.

Singer

I post to participate in the forum which has taught me almost everything I know about running. I enjoy reading about running (in a dancing about architecture kind of way, and it's a lot easier to connect and empathise with runners in your locality - I don't think there's any other Irish running forum, so this wins by default

I first started reading the event threads, then some of the stuff on the main forum, and over time started reading most of the stuff on it. I remember having an epiphany that the logs were actually were all the real chatting got done and nowadays try to read all the logs. After a bit of lurking last year's DCM novices thread got me posting and logging, and I've been able to post from time to time on some threads. As online community efforts went, last year's novices thread was truly remarkable and one of the highlights of last year, so now I feel a bit of attachment to these parts.

I enjoy the diversity - purist club runners, folks interested in the fashion and technology side of running, loggers who are better/worse/around the same as me, mountain runners, track runners, followers of actual elite athletics, historians, contrarians... almost all the content is interesting in its own way even if I don't have any real understanding of it all. A lifetime of hanging around the Internet means I have no problem skipping past the noise and bickering, though I really don't find it that bad here.

I really admire and appreciate the input of a lot of posters, and really I have no other way of getting the opinions and knowledge in the same depth and frequency which I get from folks around here. I think I've read most of both Krusty's log (RIP) and TFB's running blog, both of which are very enjoyable to read and are basically howto guides on how to become a good distance runner. Finally there's a load of folks I've met with in real life and are very sound

Hannibelle Smeeeth

For the advice. Simple as that. I would never have braved a log in a million years and but when I met MS for a treatment I thought jees that crowd arent all that scary. So gave it a crack.

I dont have anything to contribute to the main forum, the logs are my thing. I love reading them. I started one to get a bit of structure going for myself and also because I didnt know anyone who runs, so when you come back from a run its nice to post about how it felt. The feedback is great and there will always be someone who can spot something that you would never have thought of to help you out.

I havent a bog of what people are talking about scuffle wise, everything goes over my head bar the logs (eeeww).

IvoryTower

I post because I like to talk about running all the time so it allows me to get my hit while I'm at work.

I don't really get the dramatics and I'm almost certain the forum any amount of years ago would seem no different to me. It's just a bunch of random people talking about running

Firedance

Primarily for the advice, I came here first for the Dcm 2014 novices thread. Now I have a log and a bunch of top notch running friends.

I don't get the 'backslapping' comments, it's nice to be nice, the world is a harsh enough place without feeling you cant put a positive spin on a negative race/run/training session. It's possible to post construtuve critisim and be supportive.

I stay because the advice and support here is fantastic, from runners far more experienced than I, despite the fact I'm in a club (also filled with great runners willing to advise). There's far more good than bad on boards, it's easy to ignore the bad and get on with the business of talking about running, racing, encouraging others to run better & moan about our latest injuries.

kit3

I found A/R by accident in November 2009 when I was googling looking for a race. I'd started 'running' in March that year and did the Achill half marathon in July off far too little training & finished in a world of pain as you could imagine. It goes without saying then that I have learnt an awful lot from the forum, much of which I have yet to put to good use It was invaluable to me as I didn't know anyone else who ran and, with 3 small kids & a full time job, I was not in a position to join a club.

In that time I've seen a number of groups of posters come and go. It never fails to amaze me to see how the experienced runners will patiently answer the same questions over and over again as they reoccur. It is definitely one of the most important thing about this forum. I also love the sense of community that you find on here for the most part - a prime example of this was the Bohermeen thread last year where almost all the regular posters were involved in one way or another and a lot of money was raised for a worthwhile charity.

My own relationship with the forum has come in two parts. For the first 5 years I can honestly say that I never had a disagreement or cross word with anyone on the forum (and a perusal of my posts will bear that out).<snip>

I had taken a step back from the forum, started a log last year but was fairly sick of the constant niggling around other issues and let it slide. Having said that, this thread has made me think long & hard about why I have posted here over the years and helped me remember that it hasn't always been like this.

I think the forum still has a lot to offer - the things that make it good are all still there.

Great idea for a thread Myles.

Hannibelle Smeeeth

kit3 wrote: »

I found A/R by accident in November 2009 when I was googling looking for a race. I'd started 'running' in March that year and did the Achill half marathon in July off far too little training & finished in a world of pain as you could imagine. It goes without saying then that I have learnt an awful lot from the forum, much of which I have yet to put to good use It was invaluable to me as I didn't know anyone else who ran and, with 3 small kids & a full time job, I was not in a position to join a club.

In that time I've seen a number of groups of posters come and go. It never fails to amaze me to see how the experienced runners will patiently answer the same questions over and over again as they reoccur. It is definitely one of the most important thing about this forum. I also love the sense of community that you find on here for the most part - a prime example of this was the Bohermeen thread last year where almost all the regular posters were involved in one way or another and a lot of money was raised for a worthwhile charity.

My own relationship with the forum has come in two parts. For the first 5 years I can honestly say that I never had a disagreement or cross word with anyone on the forum (and a perusal of my posts will bear that out). <snip>

I had taken a step back from the forum, started a log last year but was fairly sick of the constant niggling around other issues and let it slide. Having said that, this thread has made me think long & hard about why I have posted here over the years and helped me remember that it hasn't always been like this.

I think the forum still has a lot to offer - the things that make it good are all still there.

Great idea for a thread Myles.

Its eye opening to see the hat tip to the more experienced runners and how patient they are re the repeated questions etc. I never thought about that before.

There are a few posts in here and in another thread about how the forum has changed and some people say this and other people say that and its turned a lot of good posters away etc and its made me think.

Whilst Im new enough to A/R and dont know anything other than from Jan 2015 onwards (when i started logging I think?), I was apart of another forum many moons ago. Initially it was a fantastic forum, one I made lots of friends on and one very best friend. Then the trolling started. Proper Grade A trolling by a twonk and it completely changed the forum. All the good posters left because they were sick of every thread being stunted or derailed or the most innocent of comments being misinterpreted as a swipe or dig. He spread vicious crap about people, including me and got muppets who believed him to get stuck in and soon his bile infected the whole place and it actually shut down the forum in the end.

Anyhow my point is, one person drowned out everything good. Whereas if we'd all just got on with the good elements and constructively worked together the forum could have continued. Sometimes it isnt about mods or bans its about pulling together as members and bringing the quality back.

Not saying I think theres a lack of quality here btw :pac: Im learning all the time!

Anyhow thats me tuppence worth if its even worth that

Peterx

I joined boards to comment on a thread about cycling the WW and to thank the people that had helped us do it, I just kept going from there.
I post in A/R for both information (giving and getting on IMRA mainly to be fair) and read for information and entertainment.
I just get on with reading threads that interest me on the main forum and I don't really bother with the logs apart from Demfad's, and I only look at his as I see him and race him the odd time.

Peterx

IvoryTower wrote: »

I post because I like to talk about running ...
I don't really get the dramatics and I'm almost certain the forum any amount of years ago would seem no different....It's just a bunch of random people ...

I should have just written this

Slogger Jogger

Used to post a lot and lurk reading items and training logs when I had more time. Used to be a very friendly helpful place. Got busy, life took over and I found less time for it. When I started to check back in on A/R it had become a different and less friendly place somehow and I missed what happened so was puzzled. I now pop in occasionally for specific subjects of interest like IMRA, particular events and threads involving people I know in real life. Thanks to the mods for doing a dedicated job.

Younganne

I started using Boards after a friend told me about it while training for Dublin 2010 and i knew no-one else running. I found the level of support, encouragement & knowledge amazing and kept coming back for more. I went missing for a while in 2014 when not running so much but feel that getting back to my log has helped me get back the love for my running.

I have made some great friends and am looking forward to making many more and absolutely love to see the progress that is made by people everyday.

I read back over my own log only last week and really enjoyed the things I had written about and can't believe how naive i was(and still am with regards to alot of things training wise).

The other great thing about Boards is that people are so generous with their time, knowledge and friendship and as [pointed out earlier answer the same questions over & over again.

I also got & still have a fantastic Coach who is always willing to help others, impart with his knowledge and help me get to where i am today!!

Duanington

1 - Most of my family\mates nod off after 10 seconds of me talking about running

Conversations following races of any distance usually go like this:

Family\mates - " well, how did your marathon go?"
Me - "yeah, well it was 10k but yeah really well, very happy with it"
Family\mates - "did you win?"
Me - "well, no but I got a new PB, its my 3rd one so far this year and I've put a lot of work in over that particular distance...."
Family\mates: "Zzzzzzzzzz"

2 - The advice I have received on boards has been priceless really. Its made running a much more enjoyable sport for me and actually helped me develop an interest in watching athletics in general ( locally and on TV). I don't really see the drama that others have mentioned to be honest, in my experience, the majority of posters want to help people develop and get better - I've been lucky enough to get some coaching through boards too and am extremely grateful for that.

3 - I think its important to give something back, there are a bunch of us now who have been posting for a couple of years and have been steadily improving as time goes by and I think it is only right that we keep up the tradition of giving advice where it may be warranted. Running is a strange sport in that most people do most of their running alone, we tend to form our own ( sometimes bizarre ) ideas on what is good and what is bad during those runs and don't always have an independent\logical perspective to call upon when required.
Whether or not people take that advice is completely up to them of course !

Chivito550

Duanington wrote: »

1 - Most of my family\mates nod off after 10 seconds of me talking about running

Conversations following races of any distance usually go like this:

Family\mates - " well, how did your marathon go?"
Me - "yeah, well it was 10k but yeah really well, very happy with it"
Family\mates - "did you win?"
Me - "well, no but I got a new PB, its my 3rd one so far this year and I've put a lot of work in over that particular distance...."
Family\mates: "Zzzzzzzzzz"

2 - The advice I have received on boards has been priceless really. Its made running a much more enjoyable sport for me and actually helped me develop an interest in watching athletics in general ( locally and on TV). I don't really see the drama that others have mentioned to be honest, in my experience, the majority of posters want to help people develop and get better - I've been lucky enough to get some coaching through boards too and am extremely grateful for that.

3 - I think its important to give something back, there are a bunch of us now who have been posting for a couple of years and have been steadily improving as time goes by and I think it is only right that we keep up the tradition of giving advice where it may be warranted. Running is a strange sport in that most people do most of their running alone, we tend to form our own ( sometimes bizarre ) ideas on what is good and what is bad during those runs and don't always have an independent\logical perspective to call upon when required.
Whether or not people take that advice is completely up to them of course !

I've got the "did you win?" question loads of times. Bit hard to win when you've got the likes of Dara Kervick and Timmy Crowe in your race!

I was on a first date once, and as she had run a marathon, we got talking about running. She thought it was hilarious, in quite a condescending tone, that I came last at Nationals (despite the fact I ran a big PB). This coming from somebody who didn't break 4 hours for the marathon.

There was no second date.

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

I've got the "did you win?" question loads of times. Bit hard to win when you've got the likes of Dara Kervick and Timmy Crowe in your race!

I was on a first date once, and as she had run a marathon, we got talking about running. She thought it was hilarious, in quite a condescending tone, that I came last at Nationals (despite the fact I ran a big PB). This coming from somebody who didn't break 4 hours for the marathon.

There was no second date.

Sorry but that last line made me chuckle

diego_b

Registered on the boards site many years with the idea of always staying anonymous hence the fella from midlands now with a Spanish name for username but no matter. Took up running about 3 years ago now and probably came across the A/R section soon after. Barring posting in the odd race thread I didn't dream of getting involved in any serious discussions with people, I generally use the site for information alone and also I participated in DCM Novices 2015 thread and it was safe place for a novice like me.
That thread is probably the best experience I have ever had online with anything, so much information and it made me feel as well prepared as I could possibly have been outside of having a private coach. We had a champ of a mentor! The whole experience thought me so much and made me a far more knowledgeable runner than I thought I would ever be.

I have a training log but I still feel a bit funny about that, I maintain it as I feel I get a lot from the training logs that I try to keep up with and the challenges people have to deal with. Hopefully it's vice versa though I know I can ramble a bit.

I don't keep up with all the threads on the A/R section as just too much and also I think I am out of my depth even attempting debate with experienced, more serious runners than me. I can and do make mistakes with my training but the information I get here will keep me coming back as I try to be better.

pgmcpq

I stumbled on the site during a random google. Started posting when I signed up for the Dublin marathon.

There were a lot of great help here - I still go back to many of the threads indexed on some the stickies. There were (and still are ) a lot of posters who made efforts to help me out and make suggestions ( not all I agreeded with and even fewer I managed to implement - but I always appreciated the efforts ) .... Myles, Krusty, Meno, Dory, MarthaStew, Targat, amadeus, to mention a few.

Yes, I'd have to say that there are seem to be a lot of ..... less positive... postings these days, threads attempting to parse out what is a "proper runner" :rolleyes: in terms of pace or (dear god) behavior with shirts or medals.

The surge in the number of training logs is great but it does mean that I no longer read many and usually return only to the ones that I knew from a few years ago, It's less useful as I don't really have the time to binge read through the training logs to see how a particular approach pays off (e.g. I was scanning for Hadd based training a few months ago).

Finally - living outside Ireland I also like to keep an eye on the Irish althetics scene. There'll be very little coverage of Irish althetes in Rio on my local tv. This forum was responsible for several trips for races - most recently an injury ridden attempt at Connemara.

Maximus Alexander

I'm an idiot and I don't know anything about running except that you can only have one foot on the ground at a time or else it's walking. There seem to be a lot of people here who know stuff about running so I would like to absorb some of that knowledge. That way I might one day know stuff about running too and maybe even get good at it.

AuldManKing

Came across Boards a few years ago when I started running.

I post mainly in my own training log - which I like to keep and look back on for the purpose of having a running diary - the things that Strava cant account for.
I also like looking at some other training logs and enjoyed meeting people in 'real life' at races.

The 'talking about running' thing is interesting and was a big factor - less so when I joined a club and found like minded people to run with and talk about running.

I dont tune into the main page much - it typically starts with a good question or topic then moves into a slagging match or goes way off topic. I dont have the time or the inclination for that.

I enjoyed Boards a lot more in previous years and met up a lot for training runs with a lot of them - for now, its a running diary, a way to catch up with other friends exploits and a 'not too often nowadays' way to get information. & advice.

Dubgal72

Why did I start posting here?
I started to post in July/August 2014. I needed advice about the Dublin HM. And then Ososlo took the helm and led me and many others safely through DCM 2014.

Why do I still post?
Reading and posting here has been like reawakening a long lost and forgotten language.

It's still exciting to me. I love the training logs although I follow too many too be manageable or meaningful. In and around 'my generation': look at Ososlo's log. It has everything. Shame current behaviour has caused her to lock her log, temporarily. What a bloody loss. Look elsewhere, at Bungy Girl's log. Full of dedication, application, good sense and wine. And it's damn funny! Aquinn, what can I say? Come back soon! Annapr, firedance, laura_ac3, Adrian, chickey2, hillsiderunner.... all doing what we love. One day we too might look back but in the meantime I think they'd all probably agree if I said we're too busy looking forward.

The 'old guard' logs are great too, btw

You can't 'go back' lads. You cannot step into the same river twice. So the forum has its crap aspects. I don't like the sock puppet accounts. It becomes quite obvious who many of them are within a short space of time. It also has the tendency to put you on guard.

Anyway,

THIS IS SINGER

I enjoy the diversity - purist club runners, folks interested in the fashion and technology side of running, loggers who are better/worse/around the same as me, mountain runners, tracker runners, followers of actual elite athletics, historians, contrarians... almost all the content is interesting in its own way even if I don't have any real understanding of it all. A lifetime of hanging around the Internet means I have no problem skipping past the noise and bickering, though I really don't find it that bad here.

SINGER HAS IT IN A NUTSHELL

BE LIKE SINGER

EXCEPT EAT FIRST

And look at Singer's running, jake1970's, Diego_b, denis, kennyg, nop, paulers09, chrislad, FeenaM (where are you?!), TFGR, Mrs Mc, JMSE mbarr....all the new runners coming through the ranks. Surely we owe it to them to make an effort to get back on track? Or road? Or cross country

I am tremendously excited about seeing a new crop of graduates coming through the ranks in 2016. I'll be keeping schtum on the mentored novices thread, but I will be enjoying the backseat ride as it unfolds this year in the ever so capable hands of

This is quite possibly the main reason I will keep posting here. The new members revitalise the forum each year, what's not to love?

To me, it feels like not valuing the new members of the forum if we, the older and more experienced members, throw in the towel.

Firedance

Be like singer love it

Did you mention your wonderful self in the list above? No? Well here's your mention. You support, cajole, boss (:p) protect & encourage - I'm sure I'm missing something!!